Pneumatic gyro erector



Sept. 14, 1965 J. F, CONROY PNEUMATIC GYRO ERECTOR Filed May 31, 1962 viliM Q I22 ll2 FIG. 4

6 INVENTOR.

u'QHN F. CONROY 6 02 i A'kuu v11 at FIG.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,205,719 PNEUMATIC GYRO ERECTOR John F. Conroy, Grand Rapids, Micln, assignor to Lear Siegler, Inc. Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 198,937 3 Claims. (Cl. 745.41)

This invention concerns gyroscope erecting devices, and more particularly pressure-operated devices which automatically erect and cage gas-operated coasting gyros during run-up.

In the fields of ballistic missilry and submarine ordnance, it is sometimes desirable to provide gyroscopic guidance devices which are brought up to speed at the beginning of the mission by a high-pressure gas stream and are then allowed to coast for the entire duration of the mission. A typical such device is being disclosed in application Serial No. 208,660 filed concurrently herewith. In the use of such devices, it is desirable to provide simple, light-weight and effective means to erect the gyros during run-up and then free them during the coasting period.

The present invention provides a particularly simple and inexpensive device of this nature which is extremely reliable and accurate. Its low cost is derived not only from its simplicity, but also from the fact that it is powered by the same gas supply which runs up the gyroscope, and consequently need no special valving devices for assuring their operation at the proper time.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a combination erection and caging mechanism for gyroscopic devices.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combination caging and erection device which is operated by the same fluid supply as the gyroscope itself and is therefore operative whenever the gyro is being supplied with fluid.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive erection and caging mechanism especially adapted for use with gyroscopes of the gas-driven, coasting type.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation, partly in section, showing a gyroscope in one possible rest position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the gyroscope in the position which it would assume during run-up;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the conditions during coasting;

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 1 but of an alternative embodiment of erection mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 2 but showing the alternative embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 3 but showing the alternative embodiment.

Basically, the invention consists of a bellows mechanism which is expanded into engagement with the housing of a gyroscopic device during the run-up of the gyroscopic device to hold it in a predetermined attitude until the gyroscopic device has obtained sufiicient speed to maintain its attitude without assistance. In accordance with a preferred aspect of the invent-ion, the bellows means are expanded by the same gas supply which powers the gyroscopes during run-up, this aspect of course being applicable only to gyros of the coasting type. In this environment, the bellows automatically erect the gyro whenever drive gas is supplied to it, and they automatically withdraw out of caging position the instant the drive gas supply is shut oil.

3,2d5/7lh Patented Sept. 14, l9$5 The run-up attitude of the gyro would normally be parallel to the frame; but it may be made diiferent by simply making the bellows of different area and spring rates.

In FIG. 1, the fixed gimbal frame which supports the gyro is sectionally indicated at 10. A main gas manifold 1-2 may be associated with the gimbal frame in any desired manner. A conduit 14 leads from the main gas manifold into the gyro support bracket schematically indicated at 16, which is fixed to the frame 10 and which conveys the gas from conduit .14 through an internal con duit and through the pivot bearing 18 into the gyro housing 26. On each side of the conduit 14, a small amount of gas is bled off through lines 22, 24 into the bellows 26, 28.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 through 6. In this embodiment, parts of similar function are designated by the same numbers as in FIGS. 1 through 3, but with the prefix 1. Thus, 11%) is the frame, 112. the main gas manifold, 114 the gas conduit to the gyro through the support 116 and the pivot bearing 1'18. In the alternative embodiment, however, the erection is accomplished by a single bellows 126 which is expanded through a bleed line 122 whenever gas under pressure is present in the main gas manifold 112. The bellows 26 carries a flat erector plate which, when the bellows 126 is expanded, comes to lie flatly against the underside of gyro 120.

Operation In the embodiment of FXGS. 1 through 3, the gyro 20 may come to rest, for example, in the attitude shown in FIG. 1. it will be readily seen that the attitude shown in FIG. 1 represents the limit of movement of the gyro 2i) about the pivot axis 18.

When the gyro is to be run up, gas under pressure is supplied to the main gas manifold 12. Immediately, this gas pressure is transmitted through the bleed lines 22, 24 into the bellows 25, 28. The bellows now expand, and as bellows 2i; expands, it pushes the right-hand end of gyro 2t upwards so as to cause gyro 29 to pivot about bearings 18. This counterclockwise pivotal motion ends when the left-hand side of the gyro 2i strikes the expanding bellows 26. The device is now in the condition of FIG. 2. In this condition, further expansion or" the bellows 2'6, 28 is prevented by the reaction of the undersurface of gyro housing 20 against the bellows 26, 23. It will be observed that the bellows 26, 28 are not encased in any enclosure in which their operation might rely on a pressure differential, but are completely free to expand as far as the gyro housing 20 will permit.

It will be understood that the gyro housing 20 will come to rest in the horizontal attitude of FIG. 2 only if the two bellows 2 6, 28 have the same area and spring rate. It is therefore possible to make the gyro come to rest in an attitude other than horizontal, if desired, by making the bellows dissimilar either in area or in spring rate, or both.

The expansion of the bellows is extremely rapid, and the gyro does not have time to build up any appreciable speed before the bellows have brought the gyro housing lid to its run-up position and hold it caged. As gas under pressure continues to be transmitted to the gyro 29 through conduit 14, the inertia wheel of the gyro eventually reaches operating speed and the missile is ready for launch. The gas supply is now disconnected, and the disappearance of pressure in the main gas manifold 12 immediately causes the bellows 26, 28 to react to their original position. The gyro has now come up to speed, however, and maintains itself in erected position by its own inertia. This is the condition of FIG. 3.

The functioning of the modification of FIGS. 5 through 6 is identical to that of the preferred embodiment, except that erection of the gyro in an attitude other than hori- 3 zontal (in FIGS. 4 through 6) is possible only by making the erector plate 130 wedge-shaped or providing it at its ends with stops of uneven height.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an extremely simple but effective erecting and caging device for gyro-scopes. Obviously, the teachings of .the invention can be carried out in many different ways, of which the two embodiments shown are only illustrative. I therefore do not desire to be limited by the embodiments shown and described, but only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pneumatic erecting mechanism for a fluid-driven gyroscopic device to which drive fluid is supplied only during run-up, comprising: a frame, said gyroscopic device being journalled in said frame; a pressurized :drive fluid supply for said said gyroscopic device; and expandable means acting between said frame and said gyroscopic device to force said gyroscopic device into a predetermined attit-ude when expanded; said expandable means being connected to said fluid supply so as to expand whenever pressurized fluid is being supplied to said gyroscopic device.

2. The device of claim 1, in which said expandable means include a pair of unconfined bellows mounted on said frame on each side of the journal axis; said bellows engaging said gyroscopic device to hold it in a fixed attitude during run-up and releasing said gyroscopic device upon completion of run-up.

3. The device of claim 1, in which said expandable means includes a bellows and an erecting plate mounted on said bellows, said erecting plate assuming a predetermined attitude when said bellows is expanded and engaging said gyroscopic device to cause it to also assume a predetermined attitude.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,996,896 4/35 Bennett 74 5.l X 2,273,309 2/42 Zand 745.14 2,278,913 4/42 Carter 74 5.1 20 2,295,158 9/42 Carter 745.1 3,020,769 2/ 62 Bentley etal 745.1

BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PNEUMATIC ERECTING MECHANISM FOR A FLUID-DRIVEN GYROSCOPIC DEVICE TO WHICH DRIVE FLUID IS SUPPLIED ONLY DURING RUN-UP, COMPRISING: A FRAME, SAID GYROSCOPIC DEVICE BEING JOURNALLED IN SAID FRAME; A PRESSURIZED DRIVE FLUID SUPPLY FOR SAID SAID GYROSCOPIC DEVICE; AND EXPAND-/ ABLE MEANS ACTING BETWEEN SAID FRAME AND SAID GYROSCOPIC DEVICE TO FORCE SAID GYROSCOPIC DEVICE INTO A PREDETERMINED ATTITUDE WHEN EXPANDED; SAND EXPANDABLE 